Princil's Magic

Ch.14 : Downfall Of A Barbarian King

A new message was sent to the wizard Aribor in Bricas. He had responded to the name of Remzain, he could do no other. A meeting with beautiful Remzain was arranged. She went with Pelancirian guards in plain clothing, to stay nearby, but at some distance, so as not to alarm the Grumandrian wizard.

Aribor looked very different from the frightening barbarian sorcerer he had been when she had first been made subject to his contract on the day of the conquest. He had taken to washing, in the Shalirionite fashion. His hair, still long and greying had been cut to tidier length, and had been dyed to turn the natural greys into softer brown. He wore not the dark robe of a sorcerer of Grumandria and currently bore no arms or armour on his person. He had chosen lighter coloured robes of Shalirionite style, yellow and orange with white patterns. His formidable moustache had been manicured and he was completely beardless. It surely did appear that he had taken to many of the ways of Shalirion and Bricas, where he now resided.

They greeted each other respectfully at arm's length, despite the physical intensity which had once passed between them. Both, perhaps for different reasons, seemed in awe of each other.

To her questions he explained his behaviour at Bricas and said he was more humane and sensible now. "I see the spell I was under with Guthelm and Valdark, but now I am reluctant to use my darkest arts. I no longer serve Guthelm. I realise the errors and the evil of our ways. Neither do I serve King Charlerion. I do not see why Charlerion should depose Guthelm and take over Grumandria. I think Grumandria should remain Grumandrian, but I do not see who should rule. I suppose it might be possible for Charlerion to carry it out, but it is no business of mine.

"Remzain there is only one deal I might do with Charlerion for his aid, and that would involve him giving you back to me. I do not see him doing that because you are very beautiful and he will want to keep you. I know this."

"I do not think he will do that," said Remzain, knowing Charlerion would not, but feeling insecure at the thought that her master might use her as a bargaining counter to further his ambitions.

"I do not think you want to be returned to me either," said Aribor, showing understanding which he would not have betrayed in his past life.

"No, I do not. Charlerion treats me well, and I have a passion for him, although I do not wish to see him control my homeland."

The wizard deliberated momentarily, "Well, if he wants my support enough he could lease you to me. That is a deal I would do to offer my sorcerous assistance. Go back to him, tell him he could lease you for a period, or give me a once weekly access to your bedchamber. Will you do that for him and for me?"

A naughty smile crept over her face. To defeat the scourge of Grumandria, to satisfy her master Charlerion, and to reward Aribor for his changed ways she might just do this. A deal might be possible. Charlerion had used her with his friends and lovers in his orgies. He might not be averse to using her in this way, as long as it was not made into a public spectacle.

"Charlerion has given me permission to strike such a bargain with you before I came here. I do this on his behalf, after all. He will not give me up for a period of time, as he wants me in his own bed and at his own disposal much of the time, but he will allow you to have full use of me for one evening in each week of a full year starting from the present moment, as long as you work hard towards the task of removing Guthelm, by killing, or by some magic which might remove all his power permanently and leave the throne of Grumandria open to King Charlerion. You are guaranteed the full year whether or not we are successful in our venture, but its continuation will only be allowed if you are successful in removing Guthelm or have had a significant part to play in his downfall by then. In the event of success you may claim another second year of weekly access. My master Charlerion will have control over where I may be on his business, but you will be guaranteed access to me on one regular weekly night. It will be up to you to be at my side on that evening wherever I may be You must leave me no later than 1 o clock of that night, and you may sometimes choose not to be at my side if you are engaged in your mission or are travelling elsewhere."

"I can agree to that, Remzain. I desire very much to have you again. I don't owe Charlerion anything, and I do not do any of this for him. I see this as a way to end the chaos of Guthelm. That is why I can accept this task. But it is our agreement which enables me to enter the risks and challenges of this task. It is my necessary reward.

"Can we begin our agreement now?"

"Yes we can, if that is your wish. We have clinched the deal. But first let us shake hands to seal this deal," she insisted.

They both stood and came forward to meet in the middle, extending their right hands. At first touch they both felt the power and significance of this contract, even though Aribor employed no magic in this contact. They kept their hands together. He was unwilling to break the contact. Finally after minutes in which they surveyed each other, she broke the contact. The deal was sealed, and now it was about to be sealed again in a more physical way. She unclasped her Animarian dress at the shoulder and turned.

"Please, unclip me," she invited him.

He reached to her back and unclipped her. The dress fell away to reveal her slender and beautiful flesh. There remained undergarments. "Help me," she invited. As pants fell down her legs, he spun her round to unbutton the front of the undercloth. Her nakedness was fully revealed, as wondrous as before. She had lived well these last months in the new palace of her master, but her relative youth had preserved her beauty intact. He surveyed her as crudely as he had before, but now the contract was one of equals, of free choice, despite her subjugation to Charlerion.

The 'Old' Aribor in Animar: Guthelm's Servant

He entered the village, after the rebels had been put to the sword. Bodies of menfolk lay all over the village green. Eyes gouged out, stripped of their armour, and brutally executed. The soldiers divided the spoils. The village women, young and old were the only people left alive. Soldiers argued over which women they could have.

Aribor laughed at them when some soldiers started fighting each other over the pretty women. "Stop fighting you idiots. Save that for the King's battles! If you want the same women toss a coin between you or take your turns. That is the best way, better than losing your legs or your head over a pretty woman. There are plenty to be had, enough for us all."

He watched the soldiers take the women into the huts. Some of them shared the pretty ones at the same time, but others were unwilling to be watched while they took their pleasurable rewards.

Seeing the men take the women put the sorcerer in a lustful mood. He decided to see if he could find a woman or two. As he looked at the unselected women he realised quickly that the best looking women had been selected. The women remaining were old or unattractive in some way. These villagers were careworn and haggard by hard work and by the trials of the recent weeks of rebellion. Most of them looked older than they probably were, but this life brought them down. There were none here who appealed to Aribor as they were. He was used to fresher or more attractive 'meat'. But Aribor was a sorcerer, a very experienced sorcerer. There were spells that could use the essence of a woman and bring back her youth temporarily. There was a cost, because the woman so used could be left weakened by the borrowing back of the years, and would return to age again within hours or days depending on the strength of the spells. The woman could be aged by the experience or would take longer to recover. The very old might die when they returned to age, from the effort of their restoration. Aribor cared not for the lives of these women. They were rebels and enemies of his King, bound now only for subservience for the rest of their lives. They might die sooner or later. It mattered little which. All of them, loyal subjects or rebels, Grumandrian or foreigner, soldier or wizard, all would die sooner or later. That made all the more reasons for him to enjoy life, when it offered any pleasure, whenever he could find it, and to live his life for the present. In an uncertain world no one could guarantee a safe future. He pledged to take the most pleasure from life when he could.

He surveyed the women. Old and haggard as they might mainly be, he did not particularly feel attracted to the younger ones amongst them, but some of the older ones had bone and flesh structures which appealed much to him. He used his insight to imagine them younger, and found a number of them much to his liking. He ordered some of the soldiers to keep a number of his favourites for him while he selected one older lady to work on. Now the fighting was over he found he relished his period of reward. He led her to a house and began his magic without further ado.

Grumandria

Lord Nathor was the Lord of lands in Grumandria. He had ridden to war for his King. He had blood on his hands for the service he had given. He and his men had killed opponents in the borderlands and the other lands of Animar, and now they saw service in distant Shalirion where his King sought pillage and conquest. He had been here some time now, and not all campaigns were proving successful. The Shalirionites were putting up more resistance than at first, and had even managed to defeat Guthelm in the Cromil valley. He missed his wife and children. He requested Guthelm to be allowed to return home to sort affairs out and see his family. Guthelm, in a rare moment of charity, did give his servant leave to return home for a period, to set his affairs in order. He returned to his homeland in high expectation, hoping to find that all was well and his wife and children well looked after and prospering for the services he had been giving for his people and his King. He found marauders and local sherrifs had corrupted his villagers and tenants, screwing the villagers with no recourse to law and order. Some of his villains had been unjustly hung for treason. He was angry.

"When will we persuade the King to bring real justice?" complained Lord Nathor's brother, who had stayed to manage his brother's lands.

"The King will never bring justice," said Lord Nathor angrily. "He does not have justice in him. I have served him for a long time and I know him and what he is capable of. He cares nothing for justice. He is the problem. We need a new King!"

Lord Nathor had decided it was time to talk to other nobles. He began to bring some others who were like minded together. Some surely thought it was indeed time to confront the King and began to discuss certain possibilities!

The Wizards : Aldareg and Eramzel

Wizard Eramzel learned that members of his family had been executed by King Guthelm in revenge for disputing their feudal dues, rents and taxes. The local people said the rents and dues were too much to bear, and when they refused to pay the additional amounts Guthelm had sent his soldiers to collect. Eramzel had come to his fellow wizard Aldareg to share his horror and despair.

"I know we have all done wrongs in the name of our King, and we have been rewarded handsomely for our work," declared Eramzel, "but the King does not seem to know who his allies are. He sees enemies everywhere, and has them slaughtered for little reason. He wastes his own people. I tell you, when I heard this news of my family something has changed in me. I will not work for him any more.

"Aldareg, I would never have said anything against our King before, but he is not leading us well. He even slaughters his own people. My servant came to me from Grumandria, a refugee from our village, which has been given to other Knights. When he came to me he stammered and cried, and I could not reach the full sense out of him, so I made search spells, and read his mind, and saw for myself what he had seen. Screams of terror as the soldiers searched the village. They brought everyone out to the village green and raped the women while the men were beheaded cruelly, without any attempt at a swift end. I saw all my brothers slain while their wives were raped in the same place. Then the wives were sliced open and left to bleed. I was relieved that my parents are long since dead, that they should not have to witness this. The children? I do not know. Probably they were drafted into the hostels, the males to become soldiers for the King, the girls to become serving girls. Many bondsmen were turned into slaves that day, all because they could not produce enough for the King.

"None of the King's officers ever thought, 'here is the family of a Wizard, a loyal servant of the King. They did not consider my position in the Kingdom."

Eramzel was well known for his own cruelty, but clearly Aldareg saw that lines had been crossed, by the King. Many wizards no longer had family, but clearly Eramzel was not one of those. He had kept his links with his original home, and had seen his people as being part of Guthelm's Kingdom. He had fought for Guthelm, and Guthelm had fought for his people, to enrich and provide for them. So why did the King now turn against his own, and why so cruelly and ruthlessly? He thought of his brothers and sisters, his nephews and nieces, so cruelly butchered and so casually used. Eramzel had saved those cruelties for enemies of Grumandria, not for the people of Grumandria. How could he now serve a King who could so casually sanction the gruesome murders of his own people. Being a powerful wizard Eramzel had seen it for himself through the eyes of his terrified servant.

"I know you have expressed some dissatisfaction with the campaigns Guthelm has done recently and the methods he has been using, his mismanagement of this war in Shalirion. I thought I could talk to you without fear, about what has happened to my family," said Eramzel.

"Have no fear Eramzel," said Aldareg. "You are a fellow sorcerer. We have been colleagues for many years and I owe you a loyalty. In these times it is true our King has not been leading us well. He has grown soft, in that he will no longer fight his own battles, but gladly sends others to their deaths. He has shown a lack of judgement in recent campaigns. His justice has been unjust.

"Our atrocities at Bricas were fun, but pointless. We achieved nothing of tactical value, except to inspire fear. Our campaign up the Cromil valley showed we were not ready to venture there and we have succeeded not in conquering, but in provoking resistance.

"I hear your reports from our homeland and I hear many other stories of chaos and exploitation at home. We are like a nation tearing itself apart, over lands, money, pillage, women. We have lost our way, just as Guthelm has lost his way. Perhaps we do need new leadership. I have thought it myself, I will admit."

"You have lost no family, I presume Aldareg?' asked Eramzel.

"Not by Guthelm. I was not popular in my family. I was like the black sheep of my family. My older brother was a bully to me and I must confess that I killed him when he drove me too far. I took his wife, but left her as I advanced in my sorcerous arts. My parents died in civil wars at the time when Guthelm conquered and reunited our land. I had good reason to be loyal to Guthelm for many years, but, as I say, the King has lost his way. He is no longer a suitable leader for Grumandria. He is not even a capable leader. When we took Cromilil I thought it a masterstroke, but it has proved a trap, and a wasted opportunity. Our army has been wasted, and we have created resistance amongst the Shalirionites. He has given much away to the Pelancirians.

"King Charlerion has been far more impressive. He is carving something out of Shalirion which will last. He is treating the Shalirionites honourably so they will serve him. His tactics will succeed in Shalirion better than Guthelm's. His own homeland follows him loyally, whereas we of Grumandria eat each other and waste our own potential."

"I take it that you are dissatisfied with our King, but who is there who could lead our land better?" asked Eramzel, relieved to find that his comrade no longer seemed to support the wayward King.

"I have been putting some thought to this recently. There are some Lords who would make a better king than Guthelm. Most of them would be less cruel, more diplomatic, and all would rule more effectively if they were sufficiently supported, but none of them would have legitimacy. They would represent their own possessions, but would have enemies in other parts of the Kingdom. There would inevitably be squabbles, fighting , civil war. The disunity would make us weaker still, unless these Lords could come together in alliance and choose a suitable one of their number to stand above them and create unity."

"The normal way," said Eramzel, "Is to pass the throne to the next in line; then there is legitimacy and acceptance. But none of Guthelm's sons have any good qualities, and most of them have already been killed by their father."

"The Shalirionites do not have lords in the way we do, but they do have an Empire with a succession. But the Empress does not rule. She is a figurehead. They have a council to rule in her name. The councillors are reputable citizens who are elected to represent towns, cities and country provinces. They elect leaders amongst themselves and may take turns in running the government of their Empire."

As Aldareg spoke Eramzel was thinking that he could see admiration in Aldareg for the Shalirionite methods. "Well Aldareg I have to admit that 'civilised' and complex as the Shalirionite method of government may be it certainly has compromise built into it, which seems to be something we are unable to find in the selection of our own King and government."

"Yes we know for sure that to select a new leader in Grumandria will involve civil war, whatever we do and whoever we support," said Aldareg. "Eramzel, now that you approach me with your concerns and feelings, I will tell you that I have been approached by Pelancirian spies. You will breathe no word of this to the other wizards, unless they can be trusted to keep secrets, will you?"

"Of course not Aldareg. We speak in confidence -- complete confidence. We have both already said many things to each other, which could result in accusations of treason, but we are honourable wizards and we are only speaking hypothetical words at this time. What do these spies say?"

"They bring offers and suggestions from King Charlerion. He too has had enough of King Guthelm's leadership and is willing to talk to some of us about the possibility of replacing our King," said Aldareg. Eramzel breathed a sigh of exclamation, perhaps of horror, of fear, or of determination. One thing was clear, their conversation had developed into something that neither wizard could ever forget. They both knew they trod a fine line in the brutal 'politics' of Grumandria. But they trusted each other as fellow wizards and there were probably others who might be trusted, but not all. Eramzel was betrayed and angry enough to do something about his wild King, and Aldareg had also gone far enough down this road now not to turn back. Whatever would transpire from this they would discuss it together and come to agreement upon what they chose to do.

"What did they suggest?" asked Eramzel.

"They said King Charlerion is wondering if there is a suitable Grumandrian candidate who has a good chance of having sufficient support and would be willing, one who would be able to be a good ally and partner to Pelancir, and would work with Pelancir to conquer Shalirion. He would be willing to assist someone who was suitable. Another alternative would be for King Charlerion to be promoted as a King for Grumandria, to rule the dual Kingdoms in peace and alliance. He would be fair to Grumandrian rights and traditions, as a way of creating a peaceful transition from Guthelm to prosperity and the rule of law, guaranteed by a strong King.